Cottage pie is extremely similar to its savory casserole cousin: shepherd’s pie. The main difference is the meat used. Cottage pie calls for ground beef, and shepherd's pie calls for ground lamb.

"Homemade pies of all flavors are on their way to becoming a lost art," writes Susan G. Purdy in "The Perfect Pie." In an attempt to avert such a national disaster, Purdy tries to show that pie making ...